Love at First Novel by Gu Lingfei

Kathryn had fought back.

At first, when her adoptive brothers beat her, she resisted with everything she had.

They were older and stronger, but she refused to go down without a fight. She threw anything she could get her hands on at them.

One time, she even grabbed a hatchet and chased them across the village.

They were terrified.

Even when her adoptive mother tried to punish her on their behalf, Kathryn didn't back down-she raised the hatchet and swung at her, too.

Her defiance finally shocked them into submission.

After that, they never dared to lay a hand on her again.

But she still had to live in that house, relying on them for food and shelter. The abuse didn't stop-it just took different forms. She was always hungry, always cold, never given decent clothes or a proper place to sleep.

And her adoptive father, the man who had brought her into that family, never once stepped in. He never defended her.

Kathryn hated him the most.

prison, he later died of a

Kathryn knew the truth-her biological

felt nothing. No sympathy, no pity. If anything, she thought

family, her adoptive mother and brothers tried to

drain

gave them the

time she reunited with the Farrells, she had already built a successful business and was worth tens of

She had no intention of helping them. No intention of repaying

her for years-why should she lift a finger

She wasn't a saint.

again." Then he stood up, grabbed some ice, and carefully pressed it against her swollen

down

had been beaten, her face was

night of Pedro tending to her with ice

like cold winters. How about Wiltspoon? Or Annenburg? It doesn't get too cold there, but summer

thought for a moment. "If it's too hot, we can turn on the air conditioner. But the cold? If there's no proper heating,

everything she had endured as a child, but winter

used to suffer from frostbite every

wealthy that she finally had warmth-heated buildings, a

never got